1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to flat panel display (FPD) devices, including liquid-crystal display devices, organic EL display devices, and field emission display (FED) devices (hereafter, referred simply as display devices), and particularly relates to liquid-crystal display devices.
2. Related Art
A display device, in general, has a display panel, a front frame provided on the front side of the display panel, and a backside member provided on the back side of the display panel. The backside member includes a backside support frame for supporting the display panel from the back side. The display panel is held between the front frame and the backside support frame of the backside member.
The front frame, having a picture-frame shape, is arranged on the display face side of the display panel to cover the periphery of the display panel. On the other hand, the backside support frame constitutes a frame in the shape of a picture-frame for supporting the display panel. When the display device is a liquid-crystal display device, the backside member of the liquid-crystal panel constituting the display panel has, in addition to the backside support frame, a backlight unit for illuminating the display panel. The backside support frame is arranged so as to cover the periphery of the backlight unit.
Recent trend of multiple displays requires a display device to have a reduced frame region covering the periphery of the display panel. As a result, the region of the display panel covered with the front frame and the backside support frame has been reduced. A product having a reduced framing region has a problem that it is susceptible to entry of dust or other contaminants into a display area since the approach route is short enough for the dust or other contaminants entering from the vicinity of the frame region to reach the display area. Various approaches have been proposed to solve this problem.
For example, in order to provide dust-proof and light-leakage-proof effects to a liquid-crystal panel, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2008-286977 proposes a configuration in which a step portion is provided at the front end of a front frame so as to project out toward the liquid-crystal panel, and a film member is attached to the step portion to be in contact with the liquid-crystal panel. However, JP2008-286977A merely suggests to provide dust-proof and light-leakage-proof effects between the front frame and the liquid-crystal panel, but does not point out the necessity of improving means for providing the dust-proof between the liquid-crystal panel and the backside support frame.
On the other hand, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2005-91971 discloses a liquid-crystal display device in which a form-elastic body is sandwiched between a front frame and a display panel, or between the display panel and a molded member (intermediate frame) forming a part of a backside support frame. The term “form-elastic body” as used herein means an elastic body having a cross section of L-shape, U-shape, circular tubular shape, or Z-shape, which is able to act as a cushion between the display panel and the molded member. The arrangement of the form-elastic body makes it possible to prevent the entry of contaminants and to absorb any external shock even if the gap between the display panel and the molded member is enlarged by deformation or the like.